4-6-03

9:02 AM

Slept in a little this morning. Atop that, the whole daylight savings time thing has kicked in. So, even though my body thinks it�s really early, it isn�t. Of course, I was up until 3am/4am writing up a storm. Came to some long-overdue realizations. I�ll transcribe and post that later, though.

The Christian music play list is going again.

Psalm 110, 111 and 112

Much encouraging information. Basic gist of these chapters is that God rocks and He takes care of those who worship Him honestly. Cool to read through.

Acts 17:1-9

This passage describes the result of Paul and Silas� days in Thessalonica. Paul spent three Sabbaths discussing Jesus, proving that He was the Messiah. Some of the Jewish people believed, but the majority were offended and ticked off. They rioted in the streets and gathered as a mob with the intention of grabbing Paul and Silas. When the mob couldn�t find Paul and Silas, they took Jason, the man putting P and S up, housing them, and the mob took Jason back to the city leaders. It was a citizen�s arrest situation.

The mob accused Jason of aiding and abetting the criminals, Paul and Silas, claiming that P and S were defying Caesar�s decrees by claiming that Jesus was king. At the accusation, both the crowd and the officials were outraged, arrested Jason and those with him (I�m assuming family/friends) and required him/them to post bond.

The reason I describe all that? It makes me laugh � not in an I-think-that�s-funny kind of way, but in a wow-that-sounds-so-familiar kind of way. In this era, Christians get a really bad rap. Christians are called fanatics, slandered and badmouthed. Generally speaking, non-Christians say that Christians are unwilling to listen to or even tolerate other points of view. Christians are looked down on because they �force� their ideology on other people.

In general, those who are both non-religious and religious look down on Christians, but not Muslims, Buddhists, Shamans, Taoists or those who actively practice Voodoo. It seems that society at large is more willing to accept and approve of cannibalism than Christianity. It seems that people would rather spend time with Hannibal Lector than Billy Graham. -- Okay, okay, so that may not be quite accurate, but I think you get what I�m digging at.

I think it�s really interesting (read odd) that though there are many different religious options out there, the one that gets the worst press is Christianity. But, if you think about it, Jesus was a radical. He was a man who came into the world and told people that they didn�t have to rely on a bunch of rituals or jump a bunch of hurdles. They had to simply believe in God and accept Him as their personal savior. After Jesus� death and resurrection, people were even more offended. Who was this man who was telling people they didn�t have to follow tradition? Who was this man who not only paved a new road, but said the old road was unnecessary?

Jesus was persecuted and sacrificed. He was beaten and abused and basically murdered because people didn�t want to change � they didn�t want to step out of their comfort zone. Jesus� disciples were harassed and persecuted for saying that a �mortal man� was God and King. They were humiliated and abused because they said Jesus was the Way and the Truth and the Life. Today, Christians are frequently seen as bad or evil.

But you know what? I personally believe that if Jesus were walking the earth today, He would be speaking out against the religious aspect of Christianity. I personally think that He would talk about those who have fallen into patterns and rites as a habit. I think He would talk to people about not focusing on the tradition of religion and instead, focusing on the heart of God.

I personally think that Jesus would tell Christians to knock off the holier-than-thou attitudes and actively pursue the heart of God. I think Jesus would be openly and actively persecuted just as much in this era as He was in His own � maybe more.

It wasn�t the non-Christian�s who persecuted Jesus and His followers. (and by Non-Christians, I�m referring to those who didn�t believe in God at all.) It wasn�t a group of Isis worshipers who grabbed Jesus and arrested Him. It wasn�t a group of Atheists or Agnostics who beat and bloodied Him. It wasn�t a bunch of rioting pot-heads who nailed Him to the stake/cross.

Likewise, if Jesus were on the earth actively preaching/teaching today, I don�t think the Agnostics, Atheists, Pagans, Wiccans, Druids, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, etc., would be persecuting Him. I think the Agnostics et al would look at Jesus, shake their heads and go on with life with only a few minor instances of speaking out. But, I think that the various denominations of those who say they worship Jesus as God with God would be angry, raging and violent. I think they would be very offended by Jesus� preaching and I think they would again try to kill Him.

Why? Because, God is not a respecter of persons. God is not politically correct. God doesn�t care how much you donate to the temple/church. He doesn�t care how much time you spend pressing your best clothes in order to look spotless and perfect at church. He cares about what is in your heart. He cares about what you do and say. And He cares about whether or not you mean what you say.

(Just to clarify, the above is strictly my opinion, not documented fact.)

2 Timothy 2:1-13

1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs � he wants to please his commanding officer.
5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor�s crown unless he competes according to the rules.
6 The hard working farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,
9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God�s word is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with Him we will also live with Him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.

2 Timothy 3

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God �
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth � men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith , patience, love, endurance,
11 persecutions, sufferings � what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I want to be �equipped for every good work�.